ESABS NEW SOLUTION FOR REPAIR OF EMBEDDED TRAMWAY RAILS

Tramtrac II is ESAB’s latest welding equipment for the repair of embedded grooved city tramway rails. It utilises the FCAW process with self-shielded wire, instead of the conventional SAW process and this provides a number of advantages in terms of ease of use and cost-efficiency.

The FCAW process allows Tramtrac II to be small and with an ulta light-weight compared with the heavier SAW solution. It is easily stored and used from a truck together with a generator and welding power source. The tractor can be hand-carried and is easily installed and removed on and off the rail, allowing trams to pass within a controlled safety situation.

Welding embedded grooved rails in cities implies that preheating the rail cannot be performed. With rail grades ranging from 700 (R220) to 900A (R260) consumables for difficult to weld steel are recommended with a weld deposit that can accommodate high carbon without cracking. ESAB OK Tubrodur 15.65 and OK Tubrodur 14.71 are two wires that have been successfully used by tramway repair contractors for many years. Once the beads have been deposited there is need to grind to the final profile of the rail.

For further information e-mail: info@esab.co.uk.